Weekly News Brief: 2/2/24

Spain Declares Drought Emergency In Northeastern Catalonia Region


Spanish authorities have declared a drought emergency in and around Barcelona, Spain’s second-largest city and the capital of its autonomous northeastern Catalonia region.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Withdraw Officers from Syria Following Alleged Israeli Airstrikes (Update)


Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have reduced the number of their high-ranking officers stationed in Syria following a series of fatal strikes attributed to Israel according to the Reuters News Agency.

EU Leaders Agree On $54 Billion For Ukraine After Hungary Lifts Opposition (Worthy News Radio)


European Union leaders have agreed to create a 50 billion euro ($54 billion) fund for Ukraine after getting on board Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who had threatened to veto the deal.

Latest World News Headlines

US Preemptively Strikes Houthi Missile It Says Posed “Imminent Threat” To Aircraft – February 1, 2024

China’s Forced Organ Harvesting From Minorities Highlighted At International Religious Freedom Summit – February 1, 2024

US Blames Iran-Backed Islamic Resistance Group For Attack That Killed 3 US Troops – January 31, 2024

NATO With Largest Exercise Since Cold War Amid Fears Of Large Conflict – January 31, 2024

Ambassador: Israeli Embassy In Sweden Target Of ‘Attempted Attack’ – January 31, 2024

Antisemitic Incidents in France Surge by 1,100% Following October 7 – January 30, 2024

Hungary Condemns EU Plan To Cripple Its Economy – January 30, 2024

Paris In Crisis As Farmers Besiege French Capital – January 30, 2024

Billionaire Musk’s Brain Chip Implanted In Human For First Time – January 29, 2024

World Awaits Biden’s Response To Death Of U.S. Service Members In Drone Strike – January 29, 2024

Breaking Israel News

Hostages Freed In Turkey As Police Detain Armed Man Protesting Israel’s War in Gaza


Seven workers seized at a Proctor & Gamble (P&G) plant in northwestern Turkey were freed after a nine-hour standoff with a gunman protesting against Israel’s war in Gaza, Turkish officials confirmed.

‘Biden Doctrine’: Steps to Unilaterally Recognize Palestinian State Despite Israel Opposition
The Biden Administration is considering a ‘new doctrine’ to unilaterally recognize a demilitarized Palestinian State despite strong opposition to statehood within Israel.

Defense Minister: ‘Israel Facing Imminent War With Hezbollah’


Israel’s defense minister has urged his nation to prepare for an imminent war with the massive Iran-backed Hezbollah militia based in neighboring Lebanon and a broader armed conflict in the Middle East.

Latest Israel News Headlines

Israel Flooding ‘Hamas Terror Tunnels’ As Battles Rage In Gaza, West Bank (Worthy News In-Depth) – January 31, 2024

Israeli Defense Minister Gallant Claims Half of Hamas Terrorists Have Been Wounded or Killed – January 30, 2024

Netanyahu: We Will Only Accept Total Victory; We Will Not Release Thousands of Terrorists – January 30, 2024

Hamas Rejects Hostage Deal, Hamas Fires Rockets into Central Israel – January 29, 2024

Jerusalem: Discovery of Byzantine-Era Weights May Point to Pre-Islamic Christian Presence on Temple Mount – January 29, 2024

World Remembers Holocaust Amid Rising Antisemitism (Worthy News Radio) – January 27, 2024

EU: ‘UN Likely Involved In Hamas Attacks Against Israel’ (Worthy News Investigation) – January 27, 2024

Breaking U.S. News

Tax Bill Heads to Senate, Faces Uncertain Future
The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bipartisan tax bill with a vote of 357-70 late Wednesday, but that bill now faces an uncertain future in the Senate.

New York Officials Outraged Over Beating of NYPD Officers by Migrants
New York Republicans are calling for the deportation of a group of undocumented migrants who were released without bail after a brutal beating of two NYPD police officers in Times Square.

Colorado SOS Files Brief With U.S. Supreme Court in Trump Case
Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold filed a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in the case involving former President Donald Trump’s removal from the 2024 Colorado Republican presidential primary ballot.

Latest U.S. News Headlines

US Federal Reserve Leaves Rates Unchanged – January 31, 2024

California: Child Evangelism Ministry Accuses Public School District Of Unlawful Discrimination – January 31, 2024

FBI Director Wray Warns of Chinese Hackers Targeting America’s Infrastructure to ‘Wreak Havoc’ – January 31, 2024

US: Homelessness Surges As Pandemic-Era Safety Net Provisions Expire – January 31, 2024

US Civil War Fears As Texas Sets Up Wires At Mexico Border Over ‘Migrant Invasion’ (Worthy News In-Depth) – January 31, 2024

After Hours of Debate, House Committee Advances Mayorkas Impeachment Articles – January 31, 2024

Speaker Johnson Works On FISA Overhaul By April Deadline – January 30, 2024

Breaking Christian News

Hamas ‘Unlikely’ To Reject Hostage Deal; ‘Will Demand War Ends’ As Battles Rage (Worthy News In-Depth)
Hamas is unlikely to reject a Gaza ceasefire proposal it received from mediators this week but will not sign it without assurances that Israel has committed to ending the war, sources say.

Islamists Attack DRC Church, Villages, Killing 8; Dozens Kidnapped
Christians faced major challenges in the northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on Friday after at least eight people died and thirty were taken hostage in Islamist attacks on a Pentecostal church and other targets.

Nicaraguan Regime Charges US Missionaries/Nicaraguan Pastors With Financial Crimes After Large Gospel Events
Nicaragua’s Attorney General has charged three US missionaries and 11 Nicaraguan pastors with money laundering and organized crime, months after the Christians led large Gospel outreaches in the country, CBN News reports.

Latest Christian News Headlines

Pakistan: Govt. Announces Christian Children Can Study The Bible Instead Of Islam In School – January 31, 2024

Nigeria: Slaughter of Christians Continues, “More Believers Are Killed For Their Faith In Nigeria Than Everywhere Else In The World Combined” – January 31, 2024

National Day of Prayer and Repentance in Washington D.C. on Jan. 31 – January 30, 2024

Comoros: Christians Face Ongoing Persecution Following Reelection Of President Assoumani – January 30, 2024

US: Churches Open Doors To Homeless In Extreme Cold, Run Afoul Of Local Authorities – January 30, 2024

Eritrea Releasing Hundreds Of Christians; 300 Still Detained – January 30, 2024

Iran: New Testament Now Available in 12 New Dialects as Underground Church Grows – January 25, 2024

News from this Week-6/15/22

Breaking World News

The following news is taken in whole or part from Worthy News Ministries.

Breaking World News

China Backs Russia In Invasion As Thousands Suffer

Chinese President Xi Jinping assured his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin of Beijing’s support for Russia, which is invading Ukraine, prompting an angry response from Washington.

EU Signs Gas Deal With Israel To Bypass Russia

Europeans struggling to pay their utilities were hoping for some relief Thursday after the European Union signed a deal with Israel and Egypt to boost natural gas exports to Europe to replace imports from Russia.

Latest World News Headlines

Russia Pledges Evacuations As It Urges Ukraine To Surrender In East – June 16, 2022

U.S. forces capture senior ISIS leader in Syria raid – June 16, 2022

Taiwan says its supersonic missiles can strike Beijing – June 15, 2022

Putin humiliated as Israel turns on ‘ally’ Russia to strike major energy deal with EU – June 15, 2022

Ukraine Faces Losses As Russia Pounds East – June 14, 2022

Canada, Denmark End Whiskey War Over Island – June 14, 2022

Breaking Israel News

Israel: High Court considering pro-life petition to stop abortion after 24 weeks

Israel’s High Court is set to rule this week on a petition brought by pro-lifers to stop abortions after 24 weeks gestation, CBN News reports. Israel allows state-funded abortion up to birth with the approval of a designated termination committee.

In landmark deal signed in Cairo, Israel to export natural gas, via Egypt, to Europe

Israel, Egypt and the European Union signed a memorandum of understanding on Wednesday in Cairo that will see Israel export its natural gas to the bloc for the first time.

Latest Israel News Headlines

Gantz calls for US-led military build-up against Iran – June 16, 2022

‘If Syria continues to let Iranian weapon planes land, risks losing airport’ – June 15, 2022

Elections soon? A bill to dissolve the Knesset to be voted on next week – June 14, 2022

Israeli tourists in Turkey taken to safety amid Iran terror threat – June 14, 2022

Breaking U.S. News

Historic win by Texas Republican Mayra Flores latest sign Hispanics ditching Democrats

Newly minted Republican Rep.-elect Mayra Flores’s electoral victory in Texas marked the latest warning sign for Democrats that Hispanic voters are increasingly dissatisfied with their agenda and potentially shifting to the Republican Party

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Fed hikes rates by 0.75 percentage point, biggest increase since 1994

The Federal Reserve approved the largest hike to its benchmark interest rate since 1994 on Wednesday as officials frantically seek to tamp down the decades-high inflation hitting household budgets.

Latest U.S. News Headlines

US producer prices soar 10.8% in May as energy costs spike – June 14, 2022

House passes expanded security for Supreme Court justices’ families, 27 Democrats vote ‘no’ – June 14, 2022

Pro-life protestors win appeal in lawsuit alleging they caused emotional distress, nuisance – June 14, 2022

Jan. 6 committee will not make any criminal referrals, chairman says – June 14, 2022

NYPD exodus: Police on pace to quit, retire in record numbers – June 14, 2022

Trump Calls Capitol Inquiry ‘Kangaroo Court’ – June 14, 2022

Fed likely to boost interest rates by three-quarters of a point this week – June 13, 2022

Breaking Christian News

Nigeria: Dozens of Christians murdered in one week of jihadist attacks

Jihadist terrorists in Nigeria murdered dozens of Christians during the week of 5-12 June, in unusually well-planned attacks on churches, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports. Islamic jihadists have murdered more than 43,000 Christians in Nigeria since 2021, but the methods used in last week’s attacks appear to show a heightened level of sophistication and determination.

American Christian couple helps Ukrainians

An American Christian couple who care for the poor and share the Gospel with them have been going back and forth from the Romanian border with Ukraine, taking supplies to Ukrainians suffering under the Russian invasion, and bringing child refugees out of the war-torn country to safety, CBN News reports.

Latest Christian News Headlines

Nigeria: Fulani murder 11 in Benue State Christian community, “I suspect a grand plan to annihilate us” – June 16, 2022

Muslims Attack Christian Family In Turkey – June 16, 2022

Egypt Charges Muslim With Killing Christian – June 15, 2022

Myanmar Army Torches Christian Homes – June 15, 2022

Nigeria’s Army Questioned As Islamic Militants Kill Dozens Of Christians (Worthy News Investigation) – June 14, 2022

Pakistan Gives Christian Brothers Death Sentence Over Blasphemy Allegations – June 14, 2022

Iran using proxy militias to force Christians out of Middle East – June 14, 2022